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This epic Apple Pie is a classic apple pie recipe but the apples are cooked with apple cider, which makes this pie an explosion of apple flavor. If you love cider, you’ll LOVE this pie!
Apple pie is great, but this recipe takes it to the next level. I almost enjoy it more than a classic apple pie. The apples are perfectly cooked – no crunchy apples in pie! I cook them with apple cider, which just amps up the fall flavor. The cinnamon apple flavor of the cider just seeps into every bite of the apple – cooking the apples this way was a genius idea.
My favorite things about pie is the filling and crust, but deciding what style of crust can be a hard decision. For this specific pie, there is a decorative lattice pie top. If you want to skip the lattice, you can make a double crust or crumb topping!
Ingredients Needed
- All-Butter Pie Crust: Buy store-bought or make my own amazing pie crust recipe!
- Apple Cider: Make sure to use actual apple cider – not apple juice.
- Apples: I love using Granny Smith apples in pie.
- Cornstarch: Helps thicken the pie so the pie filling is perfectly gooey.
How to make Apple Cider Pie
- Place the apples and apple cider in a large skillet. Cover and cook over medium heat until the apples are almost translucent.
- Stir together granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Stir a bit more cold apple cider. Add the cornstarch mixture to the hot apple liquid in the pan. Cook over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens. Add the butter and stir until melted.
- Place one crust in a 9-inch pie plate. Stir the brown sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch together and sprinkle in the bottom of the pie crust.
- Add the apples to the pie.
- Top carefully with top crust. Crimp edges as desired.
- Brush the top of the pie with egg wash. Place the pie on a cookie sheet and top with a pie crust shield.
- Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes then lower the oven temperature to 350°F and cook until crust is golden and baked through and filling is bubbly (approximately 30-40 additional minutes). If the top browns too quickly you can tent the pie with foil. Remove pie crust shield after about half the bake time.
Expert Tips
- There are so many apple choices, but use your favorite. I love Granny Smith in pie recipes because they can stand up to baking and the tartness of the apple makes the pie the perfect bit of sweet.
- If not using a lattice or decorative pattern, be sure to cut slits in the top crust for air to escape.
- The filling will thicken more as it cooks, but make sure that the pie is completely cool – even chilled – for the prettiest slicing.
FAQs
Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
You can in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
This usually has to do with the fact that the apples were not drained enough. Make sure you get any extra liquid out of the apples before putting the pie together.
Apple Cider Pie Recipe
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 2 recipes all-butter pie crust (see note)
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (237ml + 30ml) apple cider divided
- 3 pounds apples (see note)
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon (8g+3g) cornstarch divided
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup (67g) packed brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Make pie crust as directed. Divide into two equal pieces. Roll half of dough into a 12-inch circle (about ⅛-inch thickness) and place in a 9-inch pie plate (not deep dish). Roll out the second piece of dough to a 12 inch circle between sheets of wax paper. Chill both crusts until ready to use. (See notes for link to pie crust tips).
- Place the apples and 1 cup of apple cider in a large skillet. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the apples are almost translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the apples and reserve the cooking liquid in the pan.
- Stir together granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and salt. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons of cold apple cider. Add the cornstarch mixture to the hot apple liquid in the pan. Cook over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Add the butter and stir until melted. Remove from heat and add the apples back to the hot liquid. Let cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Remove crusts from the refrigerator. Remove wax paper from top crust. At this point you can make a lattice, do a decorative crust, or just make a two crust pie. The pie shown in the photos is a decorative crust that uses small square cookie cutters to make it look like lattice. Prepare top crust as desired.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar, cinnamon and remaining 1 teaspoon cornstarch in the bottom of the pie crust in the pie plate. Place the slightly cooled apples into the pie plate.
- Top carefully with top crust. Crimp edges. (If not using a lattice or decorative pattern, be sure to cut slits in the top crust for air to escape.)
- Brush the top of the pie with egg wash. Place the pie on a cookie sheet and top with a pie crust shield.
- Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes then lower the oven temperature to 350°F and cook until crust is golden and baked through and filling is bubbly (approximately 30-40 additional minutes). If the top browns too quickly you can tent the pie with foil. Remove pie crust shield after about half the bake time.
- Cool completely before slicing (chilling will help set the pie). Serve room temperature or warm plain or with ice cream.
Recipe Notes
- Use any apples you like – Granny Smith are great for pie, as are golden delicious.
- The original recipe for this pie used cold apple cider in the crust but I found it too hard to work with. If you’d like to attempt that, just replace the cold water for the pie crust recipe with cold apple cider.
- You can use 2 refrigerated pie crusts or my all butter pie crust recipe.
- For the topping, you can make a lattice crust, decorative pie crust, or double crust.
- Store pie in refrigerator. You can make the pie up to 24 hours ahead of time. Freeze pie for up to 3 months.
Total Yummalicious!!!! What more does a person need if they’ve got pie….and cider pie, even better!!
I’ve so been there with my kids. Then you have to suffer the result of teaching them the lesson. Thank God you had this amazing pie. And wine. I had wine last night because of that very reason. This pie looks absolutely amazing!! Genius to put the cider in the pie crust.ย
Great idea for a pie! ย Yummy! I’m with you on the teach-them-a-lesson by 5th grade. ย At my daughter’s school they don’t allow kids to call home to ask the mother to bring a forgotten lunch (to teach responsibility) – the kid gets a chunk of cheese from the school. ย So, one day she announces to my husband as he drives her to school, “uh-oh, I forgot my lunch!” ย He says, “oh well, it’s not easy being cheesy”, and drops her off.
LOL, I bet she LOVED that response!!!!
Apple cider in the crust is basically what every apple pie EVER has been missing! Love this ๐
That pie looks amazing. ย And apple cider in pie crust is just plain brilliant! ย I am definitely resisting the urge to leap up and make apple pie now. ย And I will certainly be making this next time I DO make apple pie instead of my favourite version, because it sounds too good not to!
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